


Nowhere With You

by Banjkaz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Friends to...?, M/M, Road Trips, Slow Romance, Strangers to Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27409186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banjkaz/pseuds/Banjkaz
Summary: He’s only a few miles into Pennsylvania when he finally sees signs of life among all of the cornfields.  Kageyama squints at the young man in acid-washed jeans and bright orange hair standing along the side of the dusty road.  His sunny smile is just as eye-catching as his hair; he sticks his thumb out eagerly when he sees the car approaching.Hitchhiking, then.His loose crop top is obscured by the sign he holds and Kageyama finds himself slowing down to read the slightly sloppy printing.GOING NOWHEREKageyama slams the brakes.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64
Collections: Eternal Zine





	Nowhere With You

**Author's Note:**

> My first KageHina piece _ever_ , and it was for the awesome Eternal Zine! Highlighting and celebrating KageHina throughout the ages, I chose to focus my story on the American 1990s! It's a time that was special to me, and I enjoyed getting to briefly live in it again through these two dorks :)
> 
> Thanks so much to the mods for giving me a chance - this is easily one of my favorite pieces, and I'm incredibly proud of it!

The sun is just rising as Kageyama coaxes his Ford Mustang beyond the state border. The back end hangs a little low with how much of his stuff is locked in the trunk, but it’s everything he needs and it’s carried him this far. Pretty soon, Jersey will be nothing but a memory.

And _thank god_ for that.

He’s only a few miles into Pennsylvania when he finally sees signs of life among all of the cornfields. Kageyama squints at the young man in acid-washed jeans and bright orange hair standing along the side of the dusty road. His sunny smile is just as eye-catching as his hair; he sticks his thumb out eagerly when he sees the car approaching. _Hitchhiking, then._ His loose crop top is obscured by the sign he holds and Kageyama finds himself slowing down to read the slightly sloppy printing.

**_GOING NOWHERE_ **

Kageyama slams the brakes.

The sudden stop sends dust spraying all over the man; he splutters inelegantly as Kageyama aggressively throws the car in park and leans over to roll down the passenger window.

“That’s stupid,” he says immediately, and the orange-haired man tilts his head.

“Huh?”

Kageyama’s scowl darkens. “Your sign,” he says. “ _Everyone’s_ going _somewhere_.”

“Oh!” The other grins. “Not everyone! I mean, I’m not. If you’re going somewhere, I’ll go there, too, but I don’t really have a plan.”

There’s a long moment where all Kageyama can do is gape. He doesn’t understand what this guy’s angle is. _Everyone has an angle._

They stare at each other and the silence that stretches out starts to get a little awkward. The other guy still smiles, though, and just scratches the back of his head. “Hey, so, are you gonna give me a ride or not? It’s fine either way! I just need to try and catch someone else if not.”

Kageyama doesn’t hesitate any longer. He shoves open the passenger side door and frowns at the embodiment of sunshine.

“Get in,” he says evenly.

***

Over the next few miles, he learns a few things. First, that Sunshine Man is named Hinata. Second, that Hinata is _actually_ joining him with _only_ the clothes on his back and a wallet (he insists he’ll pay for gas at every other stop). Third, that Hinata is consistent in his lies; he continues to maintain that he’s really Going Nowhere. There’s a tiny part of Kageyama that whispers that he let Hinata into his car because he’s determined to figure out what makes this simpleton tick. He swats that thought away like a fly and shoves the crumpled map into Hinata’s hands.

“Make yourself useful and read the map,” he says. “I’ve never been out of Jersey before. Surely he can at least manage that much if Kageyama is going to be stuck with him. _Everyone_ knows how to read a map.

“Uhhh…” Hinata frowns as he turns the map a few different directions and Kageyama is seized by the sudden icy cold knowledge that he’s _totally screwed_ with this guy as his co-pilot. “So which way is up?”

***

When they stop in Dauphin county for gas, Kageyama takes a minute to go into the store to find maps for the next few states; the next one he’ll need is Ohio and he spots that one easily. Indiana will be beyond that, but this little convenience store doesn’t have maps that far west. He’ll have to stop somewhere in Ohio and look for one there.

When he ambles towards the counter, Hinata grins at him from the door. “Oi! Kageyama! I finished filling up the car. You’ve got the next one, alright?”

“Sure,” he says flatly, distantly daydreaming of the _next one_. He’s already exhausted from how everything looks the same in this state; he can’t wait to see the last of Pennsylvania. 

“Rad! Let’s head out, then,” Hinata cheers. Kageyama quickly pays and heads for the door with his ever-cheerful traveling partner on his heels. He wonders if Hinata is just as fed up with the cornfields and cows as he is.

He gets his answer when halfway to the car Hinata freezes, turns, and shouts with glee as he points to the giant statue of a black-and-white bovine that watches over the gas station like some kind of guardian deity looming next to a giant tub of ice cream.

“Kageyama!” Hinata hollers as he takes off to stand next to the cow. “Take my picture!”

“With _what?_ ” Kageyama fires back sourly. There’s a polaroid camera buried in the trunk, but he’s certainly not going to waste film on _this_ idiot.

“Oh!” Hinata digs in the plastic bag he holds before retrieving his prize and tearing open the packaging of a disposable camera. “I got this! I wanna get pictures of our trip!”

 _Our trip._ Hinata has not yet asked why Kageyama is traveling alone across the country and acts like this is just a fun romp. That thought settles in Kageyama’s gut like a lead ball and rolls around unpleasantly.

He’s pulled back to the present when Hinata pushes the camera into his hands. “Come on!” Hinata wheedles. “You know how to use this, don't you?”

Kageyama frowns as he looks down at the little Kodak camera in his hands, turning the reel to get the roll started. “Of course I do,” he says petulantly. “Just shut up and go stand with the cow.”

He squints through the viewfinder as Hinata happily weaves across the parking lot to clamber up onto the trailer. Kageyama waits, a touch impatiently, until Hinata flashes peace signs and grins so brightly that it momentarily throws Kageyama.

Burying that feeling as quickly as possible, Kageyama snaps the picture and winds the reel once more before Hinata can ask why he’s taking so long again.

“Let’s go,” he calls.

***

Kageyama starts to regret their route when he realizes that every single state looks _the same_ when you’re driving through them all.

And this is taking longer than he expected it to. When he started out, Kageyama told himself he would drive ten hours every day; it couldn’t take more than a few days at that rate.

But Hinata keeps insisting they stop.

Stop to eat. Stop to pee. Stop for gas. Stop for snacks. Stop because he wants to take a picture. 

The stops grate on Kageyama. He just wants to get to California, damn what this roadblock with bright orange hair wants. The first few “pee breaks”, as Hinata cheerfully describes them, Kageyama refuses to get out of the car on principle. Why should he? If he gets out, he’s only reinforcing that Hinata can just dictate whenever they stop.

(He tries not to think too hard about the fact that he is, in fact, stopping whenever Hinata pleads with him.)

A few days in, while driving through Aurora, Illinois, they realize that they’re dangerously low on gas and the sky is forebodingly dark.

“Kageyama,” Hinata says. “Find a motel somewhere and we’ll get gas in the morning. I can’t read the map when it’s this dark.”

Kageyama grits his teeth. “You can't read it anyway.” They’ve lost so much time that he’s reluctant to stop _again_ , but he knows that Hinata’s right - especially out here, near the middle of nowhere, it’s impossible to see. Still, he makes a last-ditch effort to at least appear that he’s not giving in so quickly. “Just turn on the overhead light,” he grumbles.

“Uaaaah!” Hinata cries out. “I can’t! It’s illegal to drive with the light on!”

“What?! It’s not - _dumbass!_ ” Kageyama glowers but thankfully spots a sign for a motel and flicks on his turn signal to ease off of the main road. 

It doesn’t take long to find a place with vacancies, to Kageyama’s relief. He makes sure the car is locked up while Hinata goes about getting them checked in. A few minutes later they're entering room 215 and Kageyama tosses his bag on one of the twin beds. 

He's ready to lie down and call it a night when Hinata heaves a gusty sigh before flopping onto the other bed. “Ughhh. I'm starving,” he moans. “Let's go out, find something to eat.”

A tiny tendril of guilt tickles Kageyama's stomach as he realizes that he'd been in such a rush he actually hadn't stopped at any of the restaurants they'd passed since around 12. He’d _meant_ to, but as it had gotten later in the day and gas stations became more sparse, he was more concerned about the coming night. It was easy to keep pushing through with the thought of _one more mile._

“What do you want?” he asks instead of apologizing. 

Hinata rummages in the drawer of the rickety nightstand between their beds and procures a stained menu for a local pizza parlor. “Check this out! They don't deliver, though.”

 _Of course they don’t._ Kageyama barely tamps down on his annoyance at the thought of having to go out again. It’s a Friday night and local places will all likely be busy. He wants to open his mouth and demand Hinata pick some place that actually delivers, but when he looks up he loses his nerve. Hinata’s soft brown eyes are eagerly _shining_.

“Look!” he crows. “They have an arcade! Can’t remember the last time I went to one!”

He looks so excited by the thought, it’s like dealing with a big kid. Kageyama takes a breath and lets it out just as heavily. Well...at least local pizza places are usually pretty decent. He can’t remember ever having a _bad_ pizza at one.

“Is it at least close?” he grumbles, and Hinata grins because he knows he’s won.

After a short walk, Hinata practically kicks down the door of the pizza place in excitement. “Uooooo!” he squalls and bounces across the black and white checkered tile. “It smells so _good!_ ”

His loud entrance makes the poor cook behind the counter jump; he eyes Hinata with a touch of wariness before he resumes lightly tossing the dough that he nearly dropped. Though he looks imposing with his goatee and intense expression, he’s clearly more scared of them than they ever could be of him.

“Best pizza in town!” the kid behind the counter shouts back to Hinata. His hair is dark and messy save for one wild blonde streak hanging over his forehead. He grins as Hinata dashes to the counter. “What can I get for ya?”

Hinata glances over the toppings menu quickly before answering. “Uhhh! I want a large pepperoni pizza and two small sodas.”

The kid punches a few buttons on the register. “Awright! Hey, Asahi, make that one pepperoni for these guys!”

The intimidating-looking cook nods and smiles so gently at the other that it catches Kageyama off guard. “Coming up,” he says, and begins to spread the sauce. 

Kageyama would be content to watch the pizza being made, but Hinata bumps him with his shoulder and breaks the spell. “Oi, c’mon!” he says. “They said they’ll bring the pizza to us when it’s done!” He pushes a cup of soda into Kageyama’s hands and a bit of soda sloshes up against the plastic lid. “I got you pepsi. Oh! I think I have quarters for the games, too!”

Without another word he’s gone, beelining for the arched doorway leading into the colorful arcade beyond. Not wanting to be left behind, Kageyama follows him under the neon-lit arch. After a quick glance, he spots his traveling companion at one of the skeeball machines. 

Hinata eagerly feeds a quarter into it. “Come on!” he shouts over his shoulder, terribly impatient. “I got one started for you too!”

The wooden clatter of the pine balls dropping down the chute sparks a competitive urge in Kageyama that he hasn’t felt in a long time. It’s been ages since even childhood games were fun for him; with his natural inclination for sports his parents had clung to it and planned his entire life around it. Ever since, every game he plays must have a purpose. Local teams and friendly competition had no such purpose in their eyes.

Hinata, with his eyes shining and his beckoning grin, is inviting him to play for fun. And for once, Kageyama doesn’t _have_ to play.

He _wants_ to play.

Kageyama’s hand clenches around the first ball. He hasn’t felt like this for years, and he’s not going to let the chance slip away. His focus stays on the top and leftmost hole. The golden 100 sticker inside the chute winks in the flickering lights above the machine.

With a harsh exhale he rolls the ball and it glides from his fingertips. It rattles down the old, torn alley and up the ramp before falling short of the ring, instead rolling back down and into the ten-point hole. The electronic display lights up with the points and Kageyama’s brows draw together, casting a dark shadow over his face.

HInata laughs and tosses his ball in one hand. “Nice shot.” He grins. “ _Psych!_ Thought you’d do better.” He slings his ball down the ramp and it drops neatly into the forty-point ring.

 _Now it’s on._ Kageyama bristles indignantly at Hinata’s taunt and he shoves his sleeves up his arms. “Just watch!” he fires back before grabbing the next ball. He can’t let that stand, not with the heated little grin on Hinata’s face.

The world around them fades out, leaving just the harsh neon lights illuminating them. Before he throws his second ball, Kageyama catches sight of Hinata’s face and he’s suddenly pinned by the intensity of the stare. But that stare isn’t fixed on him - it’s entirely on the goal before him. He looks like a man possessed by the need to prove something to the world.

“Just one point,” Hinata mutters before rolling the ball, and Kageyama watches in wonder as the ball leaves his hand and flies down the ramp. It doesn’t score as well as last time, but Hinata grins anyway - and Kageyama thinks about that.

 _Just one point._ He huffs out a breath before grabbing the second ball and looking down the ramp - _really_ looking at it for the first time. There’s rings with faded stickers at the end of a ten-foot ramp, and all he saw for the first throw was the hundred-point ring.

But now he actually _sees_ that there are others - eighty, forty, thirty, even just ten.

He wonders.

His tongue darts out briefly as he rolls the ball. Without the tunnel vision of only focusing on the hundred clouding his gaze, he can see the complete picture. And when his ball sinks into the eighty-point ring, he grins.

“Wicked!” Hinata’s shout tears him from his thoughts and he looks into shining brown eyes. “You just tossed it like _wham!_ _Bwah!_ You know what I mean?!” He’s nearly vibrating from excitement.

“Uh, no, I don’t,” Kageyama says, feeling incredibly ineloquent in the face of that smile.

“Now I gotta actually try!” Hinata turns his attention back to the game, and Kageyama can’t hide his smile as he does the same.

Despite his poor start, Kageyama manages to put up enough of a fight to ultimately come out ahead. He smirks as Hinata pouts aggressively up at him and Kageyama’s machine whoops and throws lights everywhere in celebration. “Looks like I win,” Kageyama says.

“That comeback was bogus!” Hinata shouts. “One more!” That fire still burns in his gaze and _damn_ , for some reason Kageyama finds himself agreeing.

“One more.”

With their competitive urges sparked, their tosses turn aggressive. Balls end up flying into other lanes from their haphazard exuberance, many of which a dark-haired employee has to retrieve repeatedly. “One more” turns into three more games with two wins for Kageyama and two for Hinata.

Before Kageyama can feed a quarter into his machine to start a fifth game, Hinata’s final ball flies wildly off track and strikes the nearby exit sign with a dull _thwack_ , shattering it. It breaks the spell they’ve been under and Hinata yelps as glass sprinkles to the floor, glittering like a dangerous pile of snow.

“You idiot!” Kageyama shouts as he turns but he’s instead greeted by the dark-haired employee stepping in between them. He wears an intense glower and holds a pizza box, which ends up shoved firmly into Kageyama’s hands when he tries to speak.

“Please take your order _to go,_ ” he says darkly. “I can’t afford for you two to break anything else.”

Kageyama’s ears burn in embarrassment as he plods out of the pizzeria. The cashier’s cheerful “come back soon, dudes!” and the subsequent firm “ _Noya, NO”_ from the dark-haired man make the flush spread down his neck. But Hinata is completely shameless, hollering farewells to a mortified Asahi as they leave.

“Ahhh, that was fun!” Hinata decides as he leans over to pop open the pizza box. He grabs a slice before folding it in half - he brings the point of the pizza up to the crust, and Kageyama looks at him in horror as he shoves a huge bite into his mouth like he’s some kind of _animal._

It’s all a bit too much. “What the hell is your damage?!” he blurts, to Hinata’s utter confusion.

“Hah? I’ve always eaten pizza like this!”

Kageyama intends to tear into him for what happened in the arcade, but watching Hinata’s brow furrow as he tilts the pizza and looks under it, like there’s some secret to what has Kageyama perplexed on the bottom of the crust, Kageyama finds that he’s...not actually that angry.

He’d had _fun._

Instead he sucks in his breath and shakes his head. “Don’t eat it like a hotdog,” he fires back, grabbing a slice for himself and cradling the box awkwardly for the trek back to the hotel.

***

Despite the fun night and Kageyama warming up to his hitchhiker, it doesn’t mean that the roads are all smooth. The stress of not knowing what to do when he gets to California (not to mention whatever funny feeling itches in his chest every time he looks at Hinata) is beginning to wear on him, and it’s making him shorter and more irritable over the next few days. Finally, it all comes to a head in Nebraska.

They’ve _just_ managed to limp into a gas station before the needle dips into the E gauge and the engine dies, and Kageyama’s nerves are shot. Everything boils up in him and he turns his ire to Hinata.

“I’m going to leave you here,” he growls at the other man as he stubbornly tries to turn the engine over. It’s useless; there’s nothing to be done until they get some gas in the car. His snap turns petulant. “If I wasn’t making a stop every twenty minutes for you to pee, or to let you take pictures, we might actually _be_ somewhere!”

Hinata’s brow creases, but he watches Kageyama silently. The lack of a response unsettles Kageyama and he glares at the dashboard dials.

“You won’t ditch me,” Hinata finally says and looks out the window. His voice is quiet and almost contemplative _._

“Oh yeah?” Kageyama can’t help but petulantly challenge. “And how do you know that?”

When Hinata turns back to Kageyama, there’s a sad little smile on his face. It looks out of place and just plain _wrong_ on him, and it shuts Kageyama up instantly.

“‘Cause you were lonely. I knew it as soon as you stopped and made fun of my sign. If you really wanted to be alone, you wouldn’t’ve picked me up.” He waits only a moment before leaving and kicking the car door shut behind him.

Kageyama realizes he can’t rebut that. He’s been ignoring it the entire trip, but he realizes that ultimately he _was_ lonely. From the moment that he slammed the front door of the house he grew up in before peeling away from his parents, he’s been alone and uncertain about what would come next. Picking up a wild card like Hinata, paradoxical as it may seem, gives him some sort of stability. 

He’s halfway through mustering up the nerve to apologize when Hinata opens the car door and slides back in. He has a gas can in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. With a little grin at Kageyama, he sets the can down and then reaches into his bag, producing a bottle of chocolate milk. Kageyama’s never explicitly mentioned that it’s his favorite, but Hinata must have seen him pick it up at nearly every gas station from Lancaster to Lincoln.

“The cashier said someone’ll come help us with the gas in a few minutes,” Hinata says in lieu of anything related to their previous conversation. Kageyama recognizes the gesture of peace for what it is and manages something almost passing for a smile as he accepts it. Hinata grabs a bottle of water from the bag; he uncaps it before tapping his bottle against Kageyama’s and taking a swig.

***

The rain pours down in sheets against the car, filling the inside with the near-deafening sound of drumming on sheet metal. They’re stranded on the side of some little backroad because Hinata wanted to take pictures of some furry plant with a weird name, but the sudden torrential downpour traps them in the vehicle. Road conditions are unsafe and visibility is low, so they have no choice but to bunker down until it either lessens or stops completely. It’s so heavy that they can’t get any radio stations even if they would be able to hear over the continuous patter.

The moments when Hinata goes quiet are the hardest, since Kageyama begins to feel that _he_ should fill the silence instead. It happens now, and this far into the trip Kageyama has run out of small talk-type questions - not that he was ever very good at those anyway. He watches Hinata, who’s staring intently out the window at a landscape he can’t see, and Kageyama blurts out the thing he’s been avoiding since they started out.

“You’ve never asked why I’m driving to California,” he says awkwardly.

Hinata glances at Kageyama with a little smile. “I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you would,” he says, and he’s clearly giving Kageyama an out.

It’s tempting to take it. Kageyama _really_ wants to take it. He thinks of nights spent wishing for solitude if it meant he wouldn’t have to spend one more hellish second listening to which college would be best for his natural talent at volleyball and why the things _he_ wants are irrelevant to the situation.

But then he thinks of the strange look on Hinata’s face when he’d said Kageyama seemed lonely and he wets his lips. And for once, he finds he doesn’t _want_ to be alone.

After a moment of thought, Kageyama finds himself talking until long after the rain has stopped.

***

It’s pitch-black when Kageyama pulls into a gas station in Nevada and the clock radio tells him it’s nearing 2 AM. His intention is to drive through the night because they’re _so close_ (and, admittedly, a little too broke for another night at a motel). Hinata’s been asleep for the past hour, lulled by the low rumble of the tires on asphalt and the dark sky above.

They’ve found themselves at one of the few 24 hour gas stations Kageyama has seen over the course of this trip. It’s surprisingly well-lit, and he’s thankful he can see as he parks at the pump. If he has his way, this will be one of the last stops; his map indicates that their final destination is within a day’s drive. It’s likely their last night on the road together.

_Last night._

Something in his stomach clenches as he thinks about that, and he doesn’t like how it twists everything inside of him. Why does thinking of their _last stop_ and their _last night_ make him feel like something is crawling up from inside him, like he needs to claw his way out of his own head?

Kageyama turns off the ignition and tries to shove everything back down - it’s nothing new for him. He pats his back pocket and curses when he realizes that he must have thrown his wallet in the trunk with his bag at the last stop.

When he rummages through the trunk, brushing aside his old volleyball to find his wallet, his eyes land on the untouched polaroid camera. Unlike Hinata, he’s never stopped to take pictures of wildlife around him, or landmarks, or random overly-familiar strangers. And yet when trunk space was at a premium as he packed everything he could, _something_ made him grab the camera.

 _Something_ makes him grab it now.

The tank is full of gas when Kageyama finally slides back into the driver’s seat a few minutes later. There’s an almost orange haze hanging over the car from the lights overhead as he looks at Hinata sleeping in the seat next to him. Despite the door slamming he still dozes peacefully. His head is tilted against the car window and his lips are slightly parted, letting a bit of drool leak out. It’s definitely going to get on the seatbelt at this rate. Whatever; Kageyama can make him clean it up at the next - 

Unbidden, he once more remembers it’s their _last night_ , and his lips press together as he looks down at the camera in his lap once more.

Shaking fingers lift the camera up to his face and Kageyama peers through the viewfinder before he depresses the button. The click is loud and the flash is bright, and it catches him off guard. He fumbles to keep from dropping the camera and Hinata makes a confused noise as he’s jolted awake. Kageyama panics and grabs the picture printing out of the bottom, stashing it in the side pouch of his door before he tosses the camera gracelessly into the backseat. 

“Whuzzat?” Hinata mumbles, rubbing his eyes and staring blearily at Kageyama.

“It’s the gas pump,” Kageyama lies brilliantly as he starts the car up once more. “They’re...louder...in Nevada…”

Hinata blinks, and Kageyama knows he must be exhausted because he accepts this without argument and settles back for more sleep. “Mmm-hmm. Wake me when we stop for breakfast.”

“Right,” Kageyama says after a long minute, but Hinata’s already conked out once again. He itches to look at the picture, but he tamps down on the childish urge and drives them out of the quiet gas station.

***

When he’d started planning this move, Kageyama didn’t entirely have an end destination in mind. _California_ was more of an abstract idea than anything, but now he’s actually in the state and they’ve picked an arbitrary city corner to call the finish line.

“Where will you go?” Hinata asks cheerfully as he gets out and stretches.

Kageyama has been puzzling that over for nearly two weeks. He’s no closer to an answer but he finds right now that it’s not nearly as pressing as he thought. He shrugs and a little smile slips out before he can stop it. “What about you?” he asks instead.

“Hadn’t really thought about it!” Hinata grins, and Kageyama somehow isn’t surprised. Hinata will probably be fine no matter what; there’s a lot of different things to do in this big city.

A city _so_ huge that there’s a very good chance they won’t see each other again.

Though he can’t say it aloud, Kageyama has become used to Hinata’s constant presence at his side. But now they’re about to part and their journey is just going to _end_. Hinata beams up at Kageyama, seemingly heedless of Kageyama’s distress. 

He swallows and scrambles for _something_ to say. But before he can, Hinata bounces on the balls of his feet and leans up to plant a kiss on Kageyama’s cheek. Immediately Kageyama flushes, his eyes widen, and his brain screeches to a grinding halt. Hinata grins that ever-present smile, like he’s done nothing unusual, and nudges Kageyama with his shoulder. 

“Thanks for the lift, dude!” he says cheerfully. “I had a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll see you around?”

Kageyama scrabbles for coherence as his hand flies to the spot that Hinata kissed. He knows he’s bright red as he opens his mouth to try and articulate his feelings about this confusing, infuriating, _entrancing_ man. “N-naff,” he manages first before turning even redder in embarrassment at his complete failure. “Niffs…nice.”

Hinata laughs, seeming to know what Kageyama hasn’t said. “I think it would be nice too,” he says. He pats his pockets down to make sure he still has his wallet, grabs the bag with the few pieces of clothing he’d picked up throughout the trip, and gives Kageyama a little salute before turning and disappearing down the crowded street.

Kageyama watches until he can’t see Hinata’s bright orange hair anymore and slowly gets back into the driver’s seat.

When he slams the door, he sees a flash of white in the door pocket. He blinks and reaches for it, retrieving the Polaroid he'd stashed in a panic the night before. It’s developed well and to his surprise is actually a half decent picture considering the conditions under which it was taken.

Hinata sleeps peacefully in the passenger seat, the ochre-tinted overhead lights casting an almost ethereal glow over him. His hair is lightly mussed, adding to the picture of relaxation. Kageyama thinks that this is the most _vulnerable_ he's ever seen Hinata.

A smile curls his lips as he remembers the first time he'd seen the sunny man, grinning with thumb out and sign prominently displayed: **_GOING NOWHERE_ **

He'd thought Hinata was foolish for that. Now here Kageyama sits in his old Ford Mustang, hundreds of miles from the state he grew up in, with no true final destination in mind. 

He tosses the map of California into the backseat and starts the engine once more. 


End file.
